Patients who have suffered a stroke are receiving some of the best care in the country at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
The hospital has been assessed as being in the top 25% of acute organisations for the quality of stroke care. The findings were revealed in the Royal College of Physicians’ Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme report which measures all hospitals against eight aspects of stroke care to provide an overall score – the RUH’s total score was 80.9, well above the national median of 73.3.
In particular, the report found that they excel at the quality of care given to patients on their specialist Acute Stroke Unit, and in their provision of the clot-busting drug treatment thrombolysis, which is available 24/7.
Consultant Stroke Physician Dr Louise Shaw said: “We are delighted that the improvements we have made in our stroke care and the hard work of our staff have been recognised. We have transformed our stroke service in recent years, and the improvements we have introduced have made a real difference to the lives of patients who have suffered a stroke, and their families.
“Patients are being assessed quicker, specialised treatment is being started sooner, and patients are being allowed home earlier to continue their recovery with the help of specialist teams – all of which gives them the best possible chance of making a very good recovery.”
The report follows the hospital’s Stroke Research Team being highly commended in the Team of the Year category at the National Institute for Health Research’s awards at the end of last year, in recognition of their success in embedding research culture into day-to-day clinical care.